


Outbreak

by Riverofwind25



Category: The Avengers (2012)
Genre: Alternate Universe, M/M, References to Past Child Abuse, Zombie Apocalypse
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2013-10-30
Updated: 2013-10-31
Packaged: 2017-12-16 07:23:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,583
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/859446
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Riverofwind25/pseuds/Riverofwind25
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Thor glanced over at the nearest body, jaw dropping. The girl was trying to get to her feet, movements jerky, and eyes rolled back in her head. Half of her face was gone, ripped off, and blood oozed down her neck, staining her white shirt scarlet.</p><p>"Oh my god.."</p><p> </p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter One

**Author's Note:**

  * Inspired by [And Death Shall Have No Dominion](https://archiveofourown.org/external_works/23829) by xXTweekersXx. 



> I don't really specify where the characters live in this one, or how old they are. Loki is 15-16 in this one, and the others are 17-18.

_It advanced on him. Steve could see bone where flesh had rotted away, blood dripping from it's mouth. He fumbled around for a stick, a rock, anything to defend himself with, but to no avail. It was on him-_

_  
_Steve woke with a shout, drenched with sweat. The blond gasped for breath, a feeling reminiscent of his high school gym days. Damn suicide runs. Though he would rather face those than a.....

His husband stirred beside him.

"Steve?"

"It was another nightmare.."

Thor pulled the shorter blond into his arms.  "I understand. I still dream about it sometimes." "

Sometimes" was  the key word. Steve was almost jealous of Thor's ability to suppress the dreams of.. those things. It was amazing, considering he'd had seen just as much, or perhaps even more, of what had turned their world upside down and inside out.

And had also taken their schoolmates and families from this world.

 

Steve said nothing, but thought of what he, Thor, and their friends had been through. Survived through. Though the monsters were rotting away by now, and they had reached Providence (In a rickety piece-of-shit Ford, which they all agreed had been the biggest miracle of this hellstorm) and the world was putting itself back together...

Well, if time healed all wounds, the blond man thought, curled against his partner, it ought to have started with his mind.

* * *

 

 

 

_Six years earlier....._

The day had started normally enough. He'd woken up to the sweet, melodic beeping of his cheap alarm clock, taken a shower, braved his closet for an outfit- Which shouldn't have been that big a deal, considering all his clothes were basically different colored versions of each other. However, cleaning wasn't exactly the teen's strong suit. 

After bolting down a Pop-Tart (Thor was a bigger influence than Steve liked to admit) the blond met  Bruce at the bus stop. _  
_

"Morning."

"Hey."

* * *

"...And that's why we should go as the Justice League on Halloween."

Tony snorted. "You just want to see Nat in a Wonder Woman costume." Clint choked on his sandwich. Natasha rolled her eyes, but Steve caught a hint of a smile on her face. If only Clint could get the guts to ask her out.

"Not that I would blame you, though.." This was accompanied by a swift eyebrow waggle- Very swift, since the red-head kicked Tony under the table. "I just love your ability to take jokes, Nat." He glanced over to the blond on his right. "Careful you don't starve, Rapunzel." Thor was taking yet another pack of Pop-Tarts from his backpack.

"I've been eating this much every day for as long as we've known each other, Tony. Is it really something to comment on by now?"

"He just can't get used to the fact that not everybody lives off Amp, chips, and Nutella sandwiches."

"Amp is delicious, Bruce. You haven't seen the light."

Natasha joined in with "I tried that stuff once. It tasted like death, and I was shaking like a chihuahua." Steve smiled on the scene. Typical conversation..

"There's a new movie out on Saturday. Want to go see it with me?"

Steve looked over to his boyfriend. "Which one is it?"

"The Hobbit. The trailer looks really good."

"Sounds great. I'm free." Thor squeezed his hand under the table, and leaned over to press a kiss to Steve's cheek. Clint performed his ritual grimace at the display of affection, then looked up at the clock.

"We've got about one minute, we should get going." The group rose from the table, throwing paper plates and plastic bags and wrappers into a nearby garbage can. Most of the other kids in the cafeteria were doing the same. As the six set out into the hallway, Tony and Bruce started to animatedly discuss their latest science project, while Clint and Natasha shared misgivings about their English teacher.

"It's like she waits until I zone out, _then_ asks me a question..."

 

A scream rang through the hallway. All the chatter around them died down as people looked around, trying to locate the source of the sound. "What's going on?" Natasha asked, standing on her toes, trying to look over people's heads. There was shouting,  and another screech, along with...A growl?

"Hey! What the hell!" Clint snarled, as a kid rammed into him. Bruce paled.

"Um..guys...I think we should go. Like, _right now_." Steve was about to ask why, but then the cause of the commotion came into his line of sight. It was a woman- or, it _had_ been a woman- who looked as if she had been eaten by a pack of wolves and spat back up. Flesh hung off the body in chunks, and Steve saw the glint of bone in several places. Bloody froth poured from an open mouth, and the mangled corpses of two students lay behind it.

_Oh dear god, what's happening_

"Staring at it isn't gonna help, we need to get out!" Thor seized his hand, pulling him away.

Thor glanced over at the nearest body, jaw dropping. The girl was trying to get to her feet, movements jerky, and eyes rolled back in her head. Half of her face was gone, ripped off, and blood oozed down her neck, staining her white shirt scarlet.

"Oh my god.."

Natasha, fed up with their dawdling grabbed Steve by the front of his shirt. " _Come on_!" She pulled him along with her, Thor following. Panicking students were clogging the hallway, and they had to fight not to be trampled by the crowd.

"In here!" Tony ushered them into an empty classroom.  It was a cooking class- pots and pans hung on hooks over stoves, and knives were stuck to a magnetic strip on the wall.

"I put gas in my truck this morning" Clint gasped. "We can't stay here."

"What about those..those _things_ out there? What about our parents?" Steve's mind had flown over to his mother. Did she work today? He didn't even remember.

_I didn't even remember to say goodbye to her earlier._

"Well, there's only the one out there..."

"One of the dead girls was getting up." Everyone glanced over to Thor, and Steve could practically hear their thoughts: Oh shit.

"We'll stop by our houses. But if there's more..things there, we'll have to assume the worst."

Steve noticed how Clint didn't mention his own family. His biological parents were dead, and he was in foster care. But to not worry about those he lived with...

"We have to find Loki." Thor said. He was very protective over his younger brother.

 _Were would he be? Oh yeah, with Darcy._   Loki had started hanging around the girl and her friends a couple months ago. _Did he ever mention where they go for lunch? They're never in the cafeteria._

Tony and Natasha pulled knives down from the wall, and Thor rifled through the drawers.

"Where's your truck?"

"It's in the parking lot, over there." Clint pointed out a nearby window. Thor, having found nothing of use, looked over it.

"It doesn't open."

"Fuck."

The blond looked over to the wall over a nearby oven. He pulled down a heavy frying pan, turning it over in his hands.

"Are you all ready? We're gonna have to run." They all nodded. "Stand back." The long-haired young man slammed the pan into the window once. Twice! Thrice! It shattered..

"Go!" He shouted, hurdling over the windowsill, friends and boyfriend following. It was complete chaos outside.- people were screaming and running, while the creatures attacked anything within reach. An older man-who Steve recognized as the sophomore math teacher- fell to the ground. Steve fought the urge to vomit as one of the _things_ tore out his throat.

Clint reached the truck first, quickly unlocking the door and hopping into the front seat. The others climbed up into the bed of the pickup. Clint started the truck-

"Wait!" The words had come from Thor. "We're not leaving without my brother."

Natasha glanced around at the pandemonium surrounding them. She said nothing.

Tony opened his mouth to speak. "We-"

"If you want to leave him, you'll have to leave me too."

_Fuckfuckfuckfuck_

They waited for about one minute, with bated breath. As the seconds ticked by, Thor started to shake. Steve reached out, placing a hand on his shoulder.

Bruce was straining his eyes, looking for any sign of the younger teen. "I don't- Wait!" He pointed off towards the back gates. "There!"

And then they all could see one terrified Loki Odinson running towards them- Creature in pursuit.

Oh, shit.

" _Loki_!"

"Hurry!"

The dark-haired teen practically flew across the parking lot, before being yanked into the back of Clint's shitty truck- Which was already crowded by the previous five occupants.

The thing reached towards them, growl leaving it's throat. With a jolt, Steve realized it was that loud, funny guy from Thor's history class- Volstagg? The two had gotten along well.

" _Step on it!_ "

Clint obliged, the Ford's engine roaring to life, and slammed into the creature as he peeled out of the parking lot. Steve watched as it got back up, neck at an odd angle.

"What in the _hell_ is going on?" asked Tony, looking ready to pass out.

"I have no idea" said Clint, shaking his head.

Loki was practically hysterical, and Steve could barely make out the boy's words, as his face was pressed into Thor's shoulder. "Me and Darcy got separated, and everyone else-"

"Do you think our parents are okay?" Natasha's words were barely audible over the noise around them.

"I hope so." replied Bruce, trying not to think of his mother.

 

They stopped by Bruce's house first. He let out a small whimper after seeing the door practically dangling off the hinges. "Mom?" he called. There was silence, then one of the creatures stumbled through the doorway, face smeared with blood. Bruce's face crumbled, and he shook as they pulled away. Tony reached over, pulling the shorter brunet into a hug.

When they reached Steve's house, the windows were shattered, and the door was wide open. The car was in the driveway, meaning his mother had been home. The blond's heart plummeted.

_I forgot to say goodbye._

Thor and Loki's place was no better. Loki had choked back a sob as Clint sped away, and Thor had said nothing. Steve took his hand, rubbing circles on his boyfriend's skin with a thumb.

_What else can I possibly do?_

Tony was the luckiest- His parent's car was gone, meaning they had managed to escape. Steve wished he could feel happy for him.

Natasha, on the other hand was the worst off- Steve didn't know what either of her parents looked like, but the noise that tore from her throat after seeing the corpses on the front lawn told them all everything they needed to know.

Clint navigated them through the streets. The sidewalks were stained with blood, and bodies were scattered throughout the town. Steve closed his eyes, blocking out the images, but not the sounds, of people he knew being torn apart- by what could only be classified as "the walking dead".

 

They drove on, silent except for an occasional sob or whimper. They were all trying to keep themselves together, after witnessing the most horrific thing imaginable.  Steve opened his eyes, and watched in the rear view mirror as they left their town behind. He watched until their home disappeared from the mirror entirely.

They drove on, not knowing where the road would take them.

 

 

 

 

 


	2. Chapter Two

They had been driving for hours. As the sun dipped below the horizon, Steve felt a chill settle around them. He moved closer to Thor, who was still clutching his hand. The group huddled together against the cold, save for Loki.  The younger teen was curled up, asleep in the corner. None of the others had spoken since their escape from town.  
  
"It's too damn _quiet._ "

Steve snorted. "What do you propose we talk about then, Tony? People we know got... _e_ _aten alive_ , we're crammed in the back of a truck, we don't know where we're going, and all we've got is the clothes on our backs and whatever is in Thor's bag."

"I know we're in a bad situation! And I know just sitting here and not talking isn't going to help. Excuse me for wanting to think about something other than the whole town being dead."

_I wish I could think about something else._

Before Steve could form a reply, the truck rumbled to a stop.

Clint hopped out from the driver's seat, rubbing his eyes. The day had taken its toll on them. As for Steve...

He couldn't close his eyes without seeing those...They needed to figure out something to call them- Tearing apart his schoolmates, the towns people, his-

His mother.

_Don't think about it._

"If I drive anymore, I'll swerve off the road."

Tony was eager for a change in scenery, along with a more comfortable seat. "I'll go. I had a lot of caffeine earlier, we'll survive." The brunet swung one leg over the side of the truck, slipping to the ground. Bruce followed.

Natasha's stomach growled. "Do you have any food in there?" She asked quietly, motioning to Thor's backpack.

Steve took a moment to reflect on Natasha's situation.

_She had to see them. Laying there._

Thank god the things that killed her parents had left by the time they arrived. Not even Natasha Romanoff, the most capable of them all, would have been able to handle watching her family die.

"I'll check." Thor rifled through the pockets, coming up with two packages of Pop-Tarts and a half-full bottle of Gatorade. The blond hated pretty much every flavor except for Fruit Punch, though "The green kind is passable."

Thor broke the Pop-Tarts up, setting aside Loki's portion.

Clint nodded. "We'll have to stop tomorrow. Find a gas station, get some more food." He eyed the sports drink. "Some water would be nice too."

There was silence. "I'm assuming that Bruce is taking over the driving later. I'd say good night, but it isn't." And with that, Clint stuck his head into Natasha's lap, and closed his eyes. The red head didn't react much, but shifted slightly.

Thor pushed his bag over, using it as a pillow. Steve ended up pressed to Thor's side, head resting on his boyfriend's chest. He laid awake for a long while, gazing up at the moon. Just as his eyelids began to grow heavy, Steve heard Thor whisper to him.

"You still awake?"

"Yeah. Just thinking. About today." He smiled bitterly. "Looks like we're not gonna be seeing The Hobbit on Saturday."

"We made it through today. It can only go uphill from here, right?" Thor was trying to be reassuring, but he didn't sound very sure himself.

"I guess so."

Thor exhaled, breath a white mist in the cold. At least they were all wearing jackets, or they'd really be screwed. 

"Steve...Do you...love me?"

_Huh? Isn't this a little soon?_

_It's been three months.  
_

_Not to soon to be feeling it, but...  
_

_'Course, I don't think the normal relationship rules apply anymore.  
_

_Wish he could have said it before this shitstorm, though.  
_

"Of course I do. Why?"

Thor turned towards him, and two pairs of blue eyes met.

"Say it."

"I love you." And he meant it, as surely as Thor meant it when he leaned over, pressing their lips together.

 

Several minutes later, there came an "I love you too."

Steve noticed that Thor hadn't answered his question, but decided not to push it, considering the circumstances. He supposed the way his boyfriend curled around him afterwards made up for it.

Still, it was too bad they weren't going to be able to see The Hobbit. It looked really good.

 

* * *

 

"I feel like I'm in a movie right now. Like, any minute, a director is gonna pop up, and tell me to redo the last scene." Tony said, clutching the steering wheel.

The caffeine high from that bottle of amp had worn off hours ago. He was starting to regret offering to drive.

"Feels like a bad dream to me. But I can't wake up from this one." Replied Bruce, gazing out at the dark stretch of road in front of them. He was expecting a herd of flesh eaters to leap out at any moment.

_What can I say? My Mom and Dad got out._

And Rebecca Banner would never see her son again. _  
_

Despite having been friends since seventh grade, the shorter, curly haired brunet had never really spoken of his father. But Tony knew. He'd noticed how many times Bruce "fell down the stairs"  or "ran into a door" every week. Noticed how he flinched every time someone shouted or pounded a table. And God, how Tony wished he'd done something more than drop hints about how Bruce could 'Tell him anything".

He'd cheered inwardly when Brian Banner died on an icy highway in December 2011.

_What else could I have done?_

**_Maybe tell an adult like they always say to do._ **

_How could I have just sat around and let him get hurt?_

Wordlessly, Tony reached out a hand.

_You're never getting hurt again as long as I'm around._

He ignored the flutter in his stomach when the Bruce took it, grip surprisingly strong.

_That's a promise._

And Tony Stark was not one to break a promise.

 

* * *

 

"I don't like the look of this place." Natasha commented, taking in their surroundings. Early in the morning, when they were just stretching cramped limbs ( And Loki was just shoving a chunk of Pop Tart down his face), they'd found a town that seemed completely deserted. Blood tinted the sidewalks here too, but there was no sign of the creatures who'd caused them.

"Reminds me of home." Tony muttered. 

After a few minutes, they came across a hotel. There were no cars left in the small parking lot.

"Guess no one's here." Said Steve, sky blue eyes scanning the area.

"It looks like the people living here escaped, and the things followed them.." Loki replied, rubbing sleep from his eyes.

"We'll find a room on the bottom floor, so we can get out fast." Clint decided. "We could sleep in shifts."

"What if there's a bunch in there, waiting for us?"

"They would've followed the people who left. There's nothing here for them to eat. And like I said last night, we need food and gas."

"And weapons. Thor's frying pan isn't gonna save us if the legion of Hell comes in."

Bruce looked uneasy, but pulled into a space. He'd taken the wheel after Tony almost fell asleep and killed all of them. The seven got out of the truck, and cautiously entered the hotel, Thor in the lead, ready to run back to the pickup if needed.

Natasha picked a key off the floor. The occupants obviously hadn't cared for neatness when they fled. She handed it over to Clint. "109."

 

They made to the room without incident. Clint opened the door to their, and they slipped inside, Steve bolting the door behind them. The lights had been left on, and there was a small duffel bag lying on the bed, left by the room's previous occupant. Tony raided the refrigerator, and was pleased to find a styrofoam box and a two liter bottle of soda.

"Cold fries and Mountain Dew, it's like a really lonely Thanksgiving."

It was the most delicious "Lonely Thanksgiving" dinner any of them had ever eaten in their lives.

The friends all sat on the floor to eat the fries, passing the soda between them. After they finished, Steve started digging through the duffel bag, searching for anything they could use.

"Anything good in there?"

"Couple of shirts, and a pair of jeans. There's a wallet, but it's not like we'll be needing money or credit cards."

Loki nodded. "Clothes are better than nothing. Think the TV works?"

"You might as well check. Keep the volume down."

Loki flipped on the TV, quickly turning down the volume so that it wouldn't be heard through the walls. The channel was set to the news.

 _"We're getting reports that more areas are being overrun by what is described as 'the walking dead.' "_ The reporter, a pretty young blonde woman, was saying. _"Larger cities seem to be the worst areas. Places like New York city, Las Vegas, and Miami are now impossible to reach. We advise people to stay inside. If you cannot find shelter, and your town is being overrun, leave the area and go to a safe place immediately. Avoid crowds, turn your lights off, and keep noise to a minimum, as these seem to attract the walkers_."

The group sat around the TV, eyes fixed on the screen.

 _"We here at Channel 12 have been ordered to evacuate. This will be our final broadcast. If you have a radio, turn it to Station 103.7. We will be airing emergency information."_   The woman paused, a look of exhaustion flashing across her face, making her look older. _"Remember, stay inside. Stay safe, and may God be with us._ "  With that, the channel turned to static.

Thor turned off the TV, and threw the remote to the side. "Well, shit. What now?"

Clint pushed a hand back through his light brown hair. "I saw a sports supply store on the way here. We can find something to defend ourselves with. There might be some trail mix or granola bars laying around in there too."

"And after that?"

"We'll find a gas station. After that, I guess we'll keep on driving."

"So that's our game plan."

"Yup."

 

 

 

 


	3. Chapter Three

They took a while to lounge around, since it was barely light out. Bruce threw himself into the bed, and Tony took the opportunity to check if the plumbing was working.

 

After about 15 minutes, Clint started pounding the door. "Don't use all the hot water!"

This was met with the creaking of a faucet, the sound of the shower curtain hooks pulling across the rod, and the head of one dripping Stark poking into the room.

"Does anyone have a comb?"

 

Clint made his way into the sporting goods store parking lot, noting how boarded up the surrounding buildings were.

_They knew what was coming._

Meanwhile, the others pushed off the blankets Tony had taken from the hotel, figuring nobody would miss them.

As the seven climbed from the truck, they scanned the streets warily, knowing that something could be hiding in one of the seemingly empty buildings.  "Stay close, everybody."

They lagged around the door a couple moments, despite seeing no sign of movement inside.. Eventually, Thor was elected to go in first, since he held the closest thing to a weapon. The blond pushed damp strands behind his ears before unceremoniously shoving the glass door open.

"We should probably check around the place, in case there's any walkers inside."

They'd all subconsciously decided that "Walkers" was the best term to use. "Zombies" didn't do those things justice.

After about ten minutes of silent, tense patrolling, they all split off to opposite ends of the store. 

Steve pulled a baseball bat down off the wall, and swung it experimentally. 

_This will work._

_  
_Most of the shelves were almost bare, and Loki settled for looking under shelves, seeing if any bats had rolled under them.

"Hey!" The blond turned, and was met with the sight of Tony  holding several backpacks in his arms.  " I found these by the camping stuff. Just grab whatever you think we can use." He glanced at the bat in Steve's hand, and nodded approvingly. "Clint got a _crossbow_ , so his bag is full of arrows. I guess his archery lessons will actually come in handy." 

_Archery?_

_How well do I really know Clint?_

_He always just been there._

Hopefully Daryl Dixon can find something else, so we don't all die when he runs out of arrows." The tall brunette pointed towards the front of the store. "There's some water and trail mix still up there, so take as much as you can. Nat found a first aid kit, so we're set there." He tossed a backpack to Steve, then glanced around.

"Where's Loki and Rapunzel?"

"Right here." The blond emerged from a nearby aisle, brother in tow. Loki had succeeded in his quest for another baseball bat.

"So we're fighting off doom as the Little League, eh? Anymore?" Tony was still unarmed, save for the pocket knife peeking out of his front pocket.

"I don't know, there might be one laying around in the back."

  


About fifteen minutes later, the group met in the front of  the store, backpacks bulging with supplies and weapons in hand.  Natasha and Bruce held matching lacrosse sticks, and Tony had somehow summoned another baseball bat.  The weapons selection wasn't too diverse, since the store was mostly empty. 

"A crossbow?" Thor glanced over at Clint's weapon choice. 

"One of the families I lived with was big on hunting. They don't have any guns here, so this was the next best thing."

Natasha tossed her lacrosse stick from hand to hand. "My dad taught me to shoot a few years ago." The red head's eyes softened briefly, as she remembered.

_"Now, Tasha, don't hold the gun so close-that's better, now get your thumb out of the way before you pull the trigger..."_

She wondered if he'd remembered those lessons before he died. Had he managed to take any with him?

"We should head back." Clint's words snapped her out of her thoughts.

* * *

_What was that?_

_Did something just growl?_

Thor stopped dead in his tracks, Steve nearly running into him.

"What's wrong?"

"Didn't you hear that?" The taller blond was growing more apprehensive with every second.

"Hear what?"

"I heard-"

_Oh shit._

Because just before Thor could explain the sound, five walkers came hurtling around the corner.

_Not this again!_

* * *

 Loki's feet were pounding the ground like pistons. When was the last time he'd had to run like this?

Oh, yeah. Yesterday.

One walker seemed even faster than the rest. Had it turned earlier? 

_We barely know what we're up against._

" _Move_!" Tony screeched, as the walker got closer.

Cold fingers touched Loki's shoulder. 

_Ohhh godohgod_

However, Bruce quickly ended Loki's troubles, by shoving the end of his lacrosse stick into the walker's eye. _  
_

* * *

"Jesus Christ!" Clint combined and voiced the groups thoughts at once.The walker had stumbled on for a few steps before collapsing.

Natasha clawed her way up into the passenger's seat. Luckily, Clint had left the doors unlocked, since he'd brought the keys into the store with them anyway.

"Gogogogogo!"

Thor, being the tallest, had an easier time throwing himself into the back of the truck, and yanking the others up into it. A weaponless Bruce was hauled up as Clint reached the driver's side door. 

Two walkers also had their skulls bashed in with a frying pan as they tried to reach the teens.

Steve collapsed onto a mound of pillows in the corner, as Clint went screeching from the parking lot.

A very familiar action, by now.

Bruce and Tony were leaning against each other as they caught their breath, while Loki wiped sweat from his brow. Thor looked down at the blood spattering him, and began rummaging through the purloined duffle bag for a new shirt.

_God, that was really violent._


End file.
